Pokémon Topaz
by Porporino the III
Summary: So what if Eve doesn’t have her own television show? Doesn’t mean she won’t become famous…Follow sixteen year old Eve, the newest Pokémon trainer, as she braves the Sinnoh region after six years of waiting! More mature reading for more mature readers.
1. Ch 1 Start of Something New

**Pokémon: Topaz**

**Chapter 1: Start of Something New **

**XxXxX **

**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything solely belonging to the franchise and very few things Poké-related at all, except perhaps the video games/playing cards which I purchased/found myself. There. Happy now?

**Summary**: So what if Eve doesn't have her own television show? Doesn't mean she won't become famous…hopefully...Follow sixteen year old Eve, the _newest_ Pokémon trainer, as she braves the Sinnoh region after six years of waiting! A more mature Pokémon tale for more mature readers, basically.

**XxXxX**

Pre-story Warning: I will be making a few minor alterations to how things are usually done concerning battles and other things, like Pokémon having more than four moves, the currency(money) used will be switched between being called dollars/pokedollars (cuz I'm not creative enough to come up with some original name for money right now), and how trainers can now (eventually) hold up to 12 pokémon at one time. I'll do my best to make the small changes work. Also, most of the chapters will be told in the third person, except for the first chapter and maybe a few others scattered about on special occasions.

ALSO!!! I will do my best to give an accurate, though brief, description of the Pokémon that are encountered throughout the story, but I WILL NOT do a detailed description for each one. I suggest that if you are unfamiliar with any of the Diamond and Pearl Pokémon (or from any game for that matter), or simply wish to have a strong image of it in your heads, that you open another internet window alongside this one, head strait for and type in that creatures name for a great image. Seriously, it's the best way.

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**XxXxX **

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A tenth birthday is a happily anticipated milestone in many young people's lives. Because after that day their Pokémon journey begins, complete with a new Pokémon as partner….or at least, that's how it's supposed to be for _most _people! Oh no! But not me! I had to put my traveling on hold for six freakin' _years_ before I got to start my journey…!...Oh.., um, whoops…heheh. Sorry about that…

Ahem, (clears throat), Yeah. Sorry. Got a little carried away there for a sec, I guess. Right. Um, so my name's Evelyn—Eve for short—and as of last week I'm now sixteen years old. I live in the Sinnoh region; an island just crazy about using wind and solar energy, that's smack-dabbed in the middle of our beautiful planet, with the region of Hoenn being the nearest continent to the North-West of us. My mom, dad, and I have lived just outside of Jubilife City, a rather enjoyable and fun but none-the-less serene city—not to mention the largest city in our entire region—since I was born.

Jubilife is probably best known for housing one of Sinnoh's oldest and most popular Radio Stations ( Personally I prefer Johto's programs a bit more), a Trainers school for upcoming trainers (I've been taking lessons there after some of my regular school classes end for about seven years now), and of course, the Pokétch Company—creators of the Pokétch. I was really hoping to get one for my Birthday. The pink Corsola sweater on my closet floor is proof that I didn't, and thus, I'm still stuck with my Pokégear and hand-me-down Pokénav from my cousin. Both of which are two and three years _out-of-date_ respectively, thank you.

Moving right along! I'm assuming you've already guessed as to why I get so uppity on the whole "journeying" topic. Thing is, on my tenth birthday, my parents had turned down—more like flat-out denied—my request to begin my Pokémon journey, under the premise that I was far to young and immature to travel all around the continent at the age of ten. Keeping up with the fatality rates and life-threatening injuries children received whilst _on_ these journeys printed in the Jubilife Gazette, I could see they were right, though that left me no less _jealous_ of them having been allowed to travel.

But now that reason will no longer work. I'm six years older than I was then; six years wiser. So I _know_ that sticking my hand near a wild Ekans's mouth is a _relatively bad_ idea. Those kinds of spontaneous acts and immature antics were things I'd already grown out of some time ago in attempts to _prove_ to my parents that I _was_ old enough. I was far more responsible than I used to be…Or at least that's what I thought until I woke up _late,_ a week later after my sixteenth birthday on the day my journey was to actually _begin_.

I woke up as my Jigglypuff alarm clock beside my bed was practically finished singing along to "We All Live In a Pokémon World" by some Seafoam Island pop-group. Raising my stomach off from my bed's blue comforter, I gave the Jigglypuff clock's hair curl a squeeze and ended its mechanical karaoke. Kneeling up on my bed and rubbing my eyes I looked down to find my extensive _"Trainer Overview Notes_," as I had labeled them, on the spot my stomach had been laying on. Staring at the digital '10:23 a.m.' in the Jigglypuff's eyes I felt a scream begin to rise in my throat, only barely managing to suppress it.

"I-I…I-I missed-d it… I-I m-missed it..?...I missed it," I stuttered in disbelief. I'd spent practically the entire night, and the two nights before that, going over my notes strenuously until, I swear, my eyes felt ready to fall onto the floor and bleed themselves to death on the mocha carpeting.

_In retrospect that may have not been the best idea._

I'd told one of Professor Rowen's assistants that was friends with my mom from Sandgem Town, a town a couple of miles away, that I'd be coming the day before I left to choose my starter Pokémon. Even though I know that I was not the only one planning to do this, I was sure I would be able to beat the rush and wouldn't have to wait an extra month for the next shipment. Starter Pokémon these days flew like hot-cakes during the winter-to-spring months.

The whole "getting your starter Pokémon thing" was taken very seriously by Sandgem's resident Professor, Mr. Rowan. If you failed to arrive on time to pick your starter, well, then it's your loss. They simply hand it off to the kid that chooses it right then and there. …Or at least, all that's what I'd heard at the Trainer's school by the students,… and by the teachers,… and by the janitor.

"I'm so screwed…," I thought dejectedly. There was no way I was getting out of this. My parents had expected me to travel down yesterday with a "friend" who'd promised to drive me there to pick it up. **First problem right there.**

_I don't have very many friends…Heheh, just kidding…I don't have any friends at all._

My mouth has a tendency to run away with itself a lot of the time, giving me quite the disagreeable reputation among both my main school's populous, and the ones at the Trainer school right across from it. But that didn't matter to me. Who needed friends. Once I began my journey the only friends I'd need would be my Pokémon. If people have a problem with my opinions (though quite a few of my 'opinions' happen to be _facts_), then they can go kiss a Stunky's ass.

Anyway. Friends or not. I was determined to make my way to Sandgem town yesterday afternoon, my body simply filled with anticipation over my upcoming travels and taking my first step towards them. My plans included biking over to the town at about 5 or 6 later that day after both my parents were out, choosing my starter from either Piplup, Chimchar, or Turtwig, obtaining the newest model of the Sinnoh region's Pokédex, making my way back home in a sneaky enough manner so that they wouldn't ask any questions, and begin training for the next day's travels.

Too bad I was so fatigued that, while I was keeping my self busy until my parents' hit the road by going over my notes _again_, I completely collapsed from sleep deprivation. Jumping up from my bed I rushed myself to the mirror on the other side of the room, feeling the need to laugh as I took in my present form. My long black hair, which I'd tied back into twin pigtails at the sides of my head, were now heavily matted down with sweat from the heated temperatures of the day before, as were my equally disheveled bangs. My light blue eyes were red and vein-filled with sleep, and it was a battle in itself just to keep them open. My white short-sleeved button shirt was completely wrinkled all around, as was my blue-plaid skirt for school beneath it.

"How am I gonna explain all this to mom and dad," I questioned myself before a devastating thought came to mind. "What if they don't let me go on my journey?!"

I could feel my breath begin to quicken as a list of possible excuses began to pop up in my head. "_I could,..no. That won't work. How about…! Damn it, that's a stupid idea! AGHHH!"_ Needless to say I was beginning to get a headache. I decided that I should at the very least begin by changing clothes. Practically tearing off my uniform shirt and skirt I made a beeline for my closet, pulling the clothes I'd set aside alone to the right of everything else right off the hangers. Heading over to my dresser to the left of it and pulled out my comfiest pair of black under garments (though quite fashionable if I do say so myself) and sped through the shower door on the left of my bed and night stand.

Wrapping up the whole process of fully undressing, scrubbing, shampooing, rinsing, drying, and then re-clothing myself in a speedy 5 minutes, I took the multi-tasking of stuffing my extra notes, extra money, ID—and self/beauty-care products of course—into my new midnight blue backpack (specifically boughten for the traveling I still intended to do), while blow-drying my long, black—and right now annoying—locks.

Another 10 minutes and I as basically ready to rush downstairs, though after that I wasn't sure what I'd do. I gave my thin frame another once over in my mirror. My feet were covered by my trusty laced black boots reaching all the way to just below my knee. Above that I'd chosen a pair of black denim short-shorts (Yes, I know. Not the best color with this heat but hey! They look damn good on me) and a blue belt, various straps to hold Pokéballs all around it, with a golden colored buckle at the front. Only slightly tucked in to my shorts was my dark blue tube top that tied down the front with thin black laces. My hair was once again tied up in a pig tail-esque fashion, though more towards the left and right of the back of my head.

Though I know some would say how hypocritical for me to "not care" what others think of me or my opinions, yet still work so hard on out appearances, here's what I say: "Go. To. Hell. Kay? It's just my way, and I like it.

Without even realizing that most likely my parents (mostly my father) would forbid me from even standing in the front _doorway_, let alone going outside, so long as I was _dressed_ the way I was, I stood back from the mirror, grabbed my backpack, grabbed my '_secret_' bag which I slung over my right shoulder, and sprung down our circular stairway. Seeing the front door at the opposite side of the room, the thought of simply sprinting outside, grabbing my bike, and making like a Golbat outta hell came to me. But even _I_ knew that that plan would just _never work._

As I took a step off the stairs the smell of Cinnibar Island Volcano Burgers, my mom's specialty, hit my nostrils, and I turned my attention to our kitchen at my right. Standing in front of the sink washing dishes with her back to me was my mother, Malon. Her raven colored hair was freely flowing down to her shoulders and just above the midline of her back. It was no doubt that she was the one I'd received my hair color genes from. The rustling of paper made its way to my ears from my left, and as I turned the back of my father's head, with the rest of him hidden behind the cream sofa he sitting in, came into view. The Jubilife Gazette was opened up firmly in his hands, and his head continued to turn left then right as he sped through the articles.

It was quite surprising for me that the two of them were still home this late in the day, not to mention home at all. It was even more of an oddity that they were home at the same time. Why, you may ask? See, my parents both have some pretty time consuming jobs and, while they may supply us with quite a bit of cash, they tend to keep them out of the house, out late, and even on business trips quite often. My mother, Malon? Her family was the one behind the ingenious creation of the "Repel" Pokémon product—created before my mom was even born; a type of body spray, like sun screen spray for instance, that you coat over your arms and legs that can "repel" nearby wild Pokémon. Thus ensuring your travels remain peaceful for roughly an hour each time you apply it.

Thing is, she isn't the only member of her family able to inherit the CEO position, but like the other family members, who are real asses if you ask me, she still holds a relatively high and active position in the company. My dad, Renton, is a sub-head—meaning he is one position below _being_ a head and works directly under one, for Sliph Co. in Saffron City. He's also the one who has to go off on business trips most often.

Though my dad is usually pretty strait forward about things sometimes, whenever my parents see each other after a while apart, I swear, they act even _more_ teenaged and hormonal than the students at my high school. I'd find their kisses and snuggle sessions kinda cute, y'know, if it weren't for the fact that they're my _parents_!

Flipping to another page my father called out more in a matter-of-factly tone, "They're having a sale down at the Kotobuki Shopping Center. They even have coupons for it here _too_."

"Think you could cut 'em out for me sweetums," my mother pleaded as she finished drying the final dish in her hands and set it down in the plate wrack.

"Sure thing hon'," he responded.

I couldn't help but smile because, even though it may not look like it, even now, my parents were seriously enjoying each others presence. You could feel it in the air.

"My my my, Renton, look who decided she'd finally received enough _beauty rest_ for the day," my mother chimed as my presence finally became known to her. Setting the paper down on the wooden coffee table in front of him, my father brushed his hazel bangs away from his face, turned his head to me and smiled. Usually I would have smiled right back, but something about the way he _did_ it didn't sit right with me. Hands on the hips of her red to white polka dot dress, it was obvious my mother was giving me the once over, and even more obvious was how much she seemed to disapprove.

She said nothing however, and merely gave dad a nod leaning against the back of the couch, arms crossed. My father stood up from his place on the couch, moved towards the back of it, and stood right beside mom.

"So? …We're waiting," my father announced as _he too_ crossed his arms.

"Waiting? Ugh…for what," I asked confused. Did they mean why I was late to wake up? Were they waiting for an excuse?

"Well dear," my mother interjected, "When your father and I both got home yesterday, we were both just so very curious as to what _starter Pokémon_ you'd chosen. Frankly my bet was on Piplup, while your _father_ was so _sure_ you'd choose Turtwig. We were just so _eager_ to find out who was right, and we wanted to ask you right then and there."

"But we found you completely knocked out on your bed in your room, laying on top of your notes," added my father, "and we just didn't want to disturb you. So we thought we'd wait until _today_ to find out…you wouldn't mind _showing_ us before you," he turned almost slyly to my mother, "dashed on out of here, would you?"

I was completely at a loss for words. I couldn't tell them I'd slept in and forgotten to complete the most basic task of _any_ Pokémon trainer, could I? I slowly slid past them, taking small steps strait for the door while attempting keep them focused on the logic of my words rather than the language of my actions. "Well, I'd like to, ya see, but, ugh," I was now directly in front of them, "…I'm already so late, and um…," I was now beginning to step ahead of the couch, "If I wanna make it to Oreburgh City before nightfall I'm gonna have ta…"

My mother, before I could even blink, rushed ahead and cut me off. "Now Evelyn dear,…you can't just leave your parent's hanging like that! That would be so _cruel_…"

"Your mother's right Evelyn, that just wouldn't be right," agreed my father who had silently walked up behind me. "Do show us Evelyn. Were just _dying _to know…"

With my mother and father now closing the gaps both ahead _and behind_ me, and my elbow room becoming increasingly limited, I realized I had no choice but to cave in.

Backing out towards the kitchen counter to my right, I turned to face them, both hands above my head, and claimed defeat. "Fine! Fine,…you caught me. I fell asleep yesterday afternoon while you guys were out. Therefore I didn't get my Starter Pokémon like I was supposed to; like _every_ trainer is supposed to. But that's only because I've been studying so much lately! I was completely drained!"

My parents, still listening, seemed enthralled in my story, and were completely caught off guard when I accusingly pointed at them. "In fact, this is all _your_ fault! If I hadn't tried so hard to prove to you guys that I was ready by studying so freakin' hard I wouldn't have lost so much sleep over it!"

My parents both looked mildly surprised that I'd even raised my voice to them; usually I never had much need to, and doing so would only be seen as immaturity in their eyes. Something I didn't need them thinking of me whilst trying to prove I could act like a responsible adult. I tucked my hands behind my back and continued before my father even had a chance to respond.

"No. Wait…that's not right. It was my responsibility to wake up on time; to get my butt down to Sandgem Town and choose my Starter on my own. It was my own fault for studying so hard and staying up late…I just wanted this so badly..." I slowly dropped my bags down in exasperation.

My parents _again_ looked mildly surprised, giving each other brief looks and understanding smirks. Then out of nowhere, making the shape of an "L" on their foreheads, they sang out, "DUH!"

"…Huh," was all I could say.

My mother took a few steps forward with both hands on her hips. "Ya see hon'. We already knew you forgot. My friend who works for Professor Rowan called us as soon as we got home, and told me you never came down to get your Partner. Honestly though, we actually expected something like this was gonna happen. We already knew you were studying your gosh darn _brains_ out just ta please us, so we planned ahead."

"You did…?"

My father then took his own steps forward and said, "Yes. We did. Evelyn, were very proud of the progress you've made these past few years. Your grades have gone up, you've kept up with your studies in your Trainer's classes, you've gotten hardly any bad remarks from any of your teachers…You've worked very hard to prove to us that you were ready to travel on your own."

Mom continued as she linked arms with dad. "Ya see, your father and I actually feel pretty _bad_ about it all. We feel that, by instilling this drive within you to continuously _prove_ yourself to us,…to try and make yourself more responsible and mature…that we've made you grow up way to _fast_ these past years. We hardly ever saw you have any fun! All we saw you do was study, study, eat, and study!"

I had to admit, she was right. I tried, tried damn hard, day in and day out to act more mature. No more squealing in front of the T.V. whenever Lance the Dragon Master came on screen, or…late night cartoon/candy binges on the weekends. Day-to-day life seemed to have heavily lost its luster since then.

My reverie was sharply shattered as soon as my mother's comment _again_ peaked my curiosity. "Wait. What did you mean earlier when you said you'd "_planned_" for this?"

My mother stifled a giggle as my father reached into his left pocket, pulling something I couldn't see from it out. Walking up to me he reached for my right hand, covered my palm with his and placed a small cold _something_ right into it. Looking down I was shocked to find a Pokéball in it, though definitely not any type I'd seen before. Pressing on the button of its face, the Pokéball immediately enlarged to its full size.

The top half of it was mostly black, much like an Ultra Ball in that aspect, but without the yellow or black patch stripes covering its sides. Rather, it had two simple blue crescents encircling the left and right top half ending with a few hole shaped indentions in the center. The bottom white half had the letters "S.C.," imprinted into its base. Before I could ask my father spoke up.

"That's a _prototype_ of one of Sliph Co.'s newest products. It doesn't exactly have a name yet though."

"So it isn't just a regular Pokéball then," I asked.

"It shares the same basic functions of the average Pokéball, but like added effects of the Heavy Ball and Timer Ball, it has its own special trait. This type of Pokéball allows the owner to bring out the Pokémon inside simply by calling out that Pokémon's name. Vocal commands trigger all Pokéballs, but in sync with a _physical_ command. No physical contact with this Ball is even needed, though still possible. Mostly for situations in which you can't reach your Pokémon, yet you need them."

"Like when your being mugged, or something," I inquired.

"Yes. Definitely '_like when your being mugged,_' or something…Made to protect you if your attacker has left you Pokémon-less. It was brought up by another one of the sub-heads during a meeting we had a few months ago. "

"Really!? I didn't know that," sounded my mother as this was obviously news to her. "You just told me that you'd caught a Pokémon for her. You didn't tell me you were using a special Ball for it too." That tidbit of information is what _really_ caught my attention.

"You mean you caught a Pokémon for me," I shouted. Staring at the Ball with a renewed interest I could hardly wait to see the Pokémon it held inside.

"That's right," my father said while sending a disapproving side glance towards mom, "Remember when I had to travel down to Kanto for one Sliph Co.'s board meetings?"

Both mom and I answered with a brief, "A-huh," as we gawked at the mechanism in our hands, myself imagining what type of Pokémon could be inside. A Cyndaquil? A Poliwag? Or maybe an Azurill. A Cubone perhaps?

"Well," continued my father, unfazed by our dull and unenthused reply, "While I was staying at one of the hotel suites the company had supplied me with, I thought I'd be a bit _productive_ rather then just _relax_ and _enjoy_ myself during the breaks I received from the meetings. I took a trip into Celadon City a couple of miles away on that new Subway they had installed and looked around on the outskirts of one of Celadon's entrances. Using that Ball I managed to capture a particular Pokémon I thought could be of use to you."

My mother took a step back and smiled at my father, then chuckled. "Tell her which one you caught dear."

I looked up at my dad, Pokéball fully in my grasp. "Which one did you catch?"

"I'll tell you,…and _show_ you," he responded. "Houndour! It's time!"

I jumped a little as the Ball abruptly opened itself, the bottom half of which I wasn't holding swung open downward on its inner hinge, and a white light shot out from the Ball's confines landing right onto the floor. The light quickly faded, giving rise to the new color's of the Houndour's rather shiny black coat, and red muzzle and underbelly. As it stood next to me staring up at my father, I noticed that size wise it wasn't a very tall creature. Its head just barely reached up to my waistline; not to say that I'm remarkably tall in comparison though, since I'm only 5ft. 6in. in height.

My father then kneeled down in front of Houndour and began to scratch its ears. Gently pushing its head upward to me dad began to speak to it. "Now listen Houndour." It's ears perked up and its body stiffened. "This young woman right here is my daughter, Evelyn. I caught you so that you could protect her while she's going on her journey. You are now her Pokémon. Understand?"

The Houndour took a few steps toward me, taking in my scent as it sniffed at my boots and legs. I must've passed the test as it quickly returned to my father, its feet strait and in line, looked up at him and nodded.

"Woof," it cried out. Despite its size, its cry proved that Houndour could definitely leave a commanding impression.

"Good boy," my mother cooed as she too scratched behind its ears.

"Evelyn," my father called at which I perked up. He rose from his kneeled spot on the carpet, gently took the Pokéball from my hand, and opened it once more. Taking one of his small tools from his left pocket, the one I always mistook as a simple needle, and began to tinker with the upper and lower insides of the Ball.

"Dad? Whatcha doin?"

"Just resetting the Vocal Memory Analyzer," he answered, and, as usual, continued on before I could ask. "It's part of the feature that releases the Pokémon from the Ball without having to do it manually. I have to reset it and record your voice, otherwise it won't work when you call it out."

Giving the Ball one last jab, he turned it and the needle-thing to me. "See that little glowing red square in the upper corner," he directed with his finger.

"Yeah, the one that's beeping right? Yeah, I see it," I responded.

"Okay, just press the prick into it, and then say something. This way the Pokéball will remember your voice."

"Say what? Anything? My name, or a,…sentence," I questioned.

"A simply sentence should suffice. About ten seconds or so."

"Alright," I said, as a simple sentence suddenly came to me. I picked at the little red square, turning it blue, and calmly spoke. "Hello world. My name's Evelyn Roseberry Braig, and I say: "If knowledge is power, and power corrupts, then _school_ is the root of _all_ evil."

A small _'beep'_ sang out from the Ball before the light inside of it once again turned red, though ceased to blink.

"Now that my daughter," piped my mother still sitting with Houndour in her lap, "…was deep." I gave a bow.

"Alright now my beloved daughter. I believe it's time," said dad.

"For what," I asked.

"Time to _shove off_ and give your father and I some peace," sassed my mother jokingly as she raised a fist into the air. Houndour, still resting in her lap tiredly rolled his eyes.

"Such loving parents I have…," I said with a sigh. "So…should I return Houndour to its Pokéball now?"

"That's your decision Evelyn," said my dad almost off-handedly, "He's _your_ Pokémon now, and you _his_ trainer."

"Point well-taken," I agreed. Turning to Houndour as he rose up from my mother's lap to look at me, I pointed the Ball's face in his direction and squeezed it.

"Houndour…_return_." As soon as those words were uttered, a thin blast of red shot from the button face of the Pokéball, striking Houndour, and in a sense, _absorbing_ him back into his convenient transport. As soon as the entirety of the red light was gone, I could feel it. A sense that I would be doing this for a long time to come. And I loved it.

My satisfaction must've been pretty noticeable, since my mother came up in front of me and chuckled, "Trust me. Your going to like calling 'em _out_ onto the battle field _much_ _more_." And I knew she was right.

Pressing the button on the front of it again, the Ball returned to its miniscule size, and I stuffed it into my right pocket for safe keeping. "Soooo, …if I may ask. Where did the idea for this come from?"

My mom was the one who answered my question as she began to sheepishly poke at my father's right shoulder.

"Well, heheheh, You see…You recall those stories I told you, about when I was younger, I trained to be one of the best Pokémon Coordinator's out there right?"

"Yeah. You placed third in the Hoenn Grand Festival your first year _on_ that journey."

"Right!..Ahh, such fond memories…," she sighed dramatically, "Anywho, so yes. Like I told you. My parents weren't entirely keen on the whole idea, and it took about—maybe a month?—of pleading in advance for them to even consider the idea."

"Gee. Doesn't that sound familier...," I joked.

"Haha," remarked my father as he pushed his thin rimmed glasses farther up his nose.

"The only reason my father even agreed to let me was because I promised to bring our guard dog Growlithe, or as we called him, Growly, with me. A basic line of protection for their only daughter against bad people like muggers, rapists',…

"…boys…," mumbled my father.

I could practically feel the warmth of the proverbial light bulb blinking on above my head. "So _that's_ what this is about. _You_ just don't want any _boys_ coming near me on my trip. That's the reason you caught Houndour in the first place," I grumbled as I crossed my arms.

"Now now dear," my mom uttered nervously, "before you go pointing fingers, just remember…we love you…….._and_ _this was your father's idea_…"

"Excuse me! You're the one who brought it up when we went out to eat at Cherrim Gardens the night before my trip," accused my father towards my mother.

"Let me guess…," I interjected, "You taught it to attack any boy who comes near—or onto—me?"

"Sadly no," answered dad in a much more subdued tone, "unlike _Growly_, Houndour wasn't given any _special_ training such as that. What with the time restraints of my job and everything at the time."

"Unlike Growly," I probed.

"Oh right," giggled mom, "my first date with your father. My dad did everything humanly possible to get your father away from me. The date ended as soon as Growly tried to bite your father in the…er…y'know…_down there_."

"You mean the crotch," I offered, internally sighing at my mother's inability to word a simple sexual organ or the area surrounding it. I'm sixteen after all. I have an anatomy class…

"_Sick balls…_, Malon,…I could understand _Sick '**em**,_ but, really now. I'll never understand how your father engraved _that_ into its commands…," my father said grudgingly. My mother could again only giggle.

"I can't believe you two. Dad's had me take self defense classes since I was about 6 years old. 2 years of Muay Thai? 3 years of Jiu Jitsu? A couple of months worth of gymnastics? Gosh….." My parents had to be some of the most paranoid people on planet Earth.

"And obviously Grandpa Niles and Growly didn't succeed. Seeing as how I stand before you now." I took pleasure in seeing my mother's face heat up and my father attempt to hide his almost choking, behind a not so subtle cough. "Now that our stroll down Reminiscent Avenue is through, I think it would be a good idea if I head out now. I should be able to head down to Sandgem Town, pick up my Pokédex, and make it into Jubilife City before Dinner time."

"Oh right. You still gotta snag yourself a Pokédex," my mother realized.

"Your going to head into the city? You could just head home afterwards and start off your travels fresh tomorrow y'know," my father pointed out.

"Ugh, yeah….I could, I guess…but, well…"

"It's all right sweetie. You go ahead and grab what you need from Professor Rowan. We'll still see you on your way back, so you can make up your mind then, kay?"

To say I was flabbergasted would've been the eloquent understatement of the year. My parents, mostly my mother, were usually all for keeping their "_little girl"_ safe and close by.

"Malon, are you-"

" Renton," my mother said sternly as she pulled him in front of her, "Our daughter's been dead-set on this for how many years?"

"But, hon-"

Another hard stare stopped him again mid-sentence.

I picked up my things and turned for the door, all the while laughing on the inside.

"Not so fast." 

I could feel my mother tugging gently on the yellow duffle bag on my right.

"What's this," she questioned.

"Just a bag," I answered.

"Just a bag, huh," joined my father, "You should know by now that you're a terrible liar."

"We've seen you carry around that particular bag quite often these past few weeks, yet, I nor your father can recall buying if for you."

"Your mother's got you there."

"Why do I have to have such suspicious parents…" I sighed. "Fine, _fine_." Slowly opening the yellow bag, I pulled out a cylindrical glass case, a large egg, dark green on the top with a wave-like black bottom, fit snugly inside.

"…Look Malon, it's an egg. I wonder where she could've gotten that…," my father murmured darkly.

"No….Evelyn, _don't_ tell me…," my mother pleaded.

"Yeah," I shrugged, "before we left the reunion at Gram and Gramps's farm last month,…Grams pulled me aside and gave me this egg."

"Ooooooh! I _told_ you _not_ to tell me! Darn that mother of mine…"

"Wait! Look! Before you get mad, Grandma already filled me in on all the basics. I just have to wait for it to start _moving_, _shaking_, then _glowing_, then use the Pokéball at the top of the case to catch it." I could tell by my parents intermingling sighs that they wouldn't be putting up much of a fight over this, and sighed myself.

My dad's glasses were lightly pushed upwards as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Fine. Alright. Just….take this… _Before we hear something else that makes us change our minds._"

In his left palm, coated in a sleek black metal covering, was the recently up-graded and heavily manufactured gift of my dreams.

"**A Pokétch!? OH MY GAWWD! THIS IS AWESOME!!!"**

"Consider it a going-away present," said dad as he recovered from my sudden outburst.

"There now. You have all the technology you could possible need," stated my mother.

"And your mother and I even took the liberty of adding some special features along with a few average ones already set in."

Charging right for them I pulled them into a back-breaking embrace, and stopped only when my parents began to cry out for oxygen. "I'll see you guys soon alright?" Quickly pecking my parents on the cheek—and tip-toeing to reach my father's—I headed for the door. Holding the door open so my parents could escort me outside, I took a look at the surroundings of our home.

It was an odd place really. Here we were embraced by the fruits of nature—trees, flora, the wide open sky—and yet, not even 7 minutes away was the _biggest_ city in the continent; filled with buildings taller than some mountains, bakeries, stores, restuarants, and even a few malls! Funny how things work out sometimes.

Grabbing my bike I took a few careful steps off the porch, and hung the bag with my egg inside on the right handlebar. I took another look at my parents, still standing on the cherry-wood porch to the right of me, big grins glued to their faces.

"We love you dear," my mother sang.

"Be safe," ordered my father.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine."

I slowly began to peddle down the street away from our house on the right of the beaten dirt path. As I started picking up speed, their conjoined farewell reached my ears.

"_We love you!"_

Sure. They may seem a little sappy to you. And _they are a lot of the tim, believe me…_..But I love them for it.

I took another look back and waved. _"Love you too! I'll see you guys soon!"_

XxXxX

Watching their daughter biking off towards the beginning of her future journey, Renton and Malon Braig continued to smile, waving off into the distance until their child could no longer be seen behind the dense forest and hills she'd ventured towards.

" Renton dear?"

"Yes honey," Renton responded.

Hitting him upside the head she cried out, "How could you let our daughter leave the house _dressed like that!?"_

XxXxX

Sorry about the ending if it seemed a little rushed. I've been playing and tweaking with this story's first chapter so much. I pray it turns out okay. I'll be setting up the next chapter and uploading it as soon as I can, along with my other story hopefully. If you liked it (or found any mistakes that really stand out) then please…_please_…leave a revew?


	2. Ch 2 Sneak, Side, Flash

**Pokémon: Topaz**

**Chapter 2: Sneak Attacks, Sidetracks, and Flashbacks**

**XxXxX**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own anything solely belonging to the franchise and very few things Poké-related at all, except perhaps the video games which I purchased myself. AND, remember. As stated in Chapter 1, small, but eventually notable changes will be made to the battle mechanics, and you can use the _wikipedia _sites to find good images of the Pokémon that are mentioned.

Oh, and, just to make sure it's understood. Sentences placed in _italics_ will most likely be thoughts.

**Summary**: So what if Eve doesn't have her own television show? Doesn't mean she won't become famous,…._hopefully_. Follow sixteen year old Eve, the _newest_ Pokémon trainer, as she braves the Sinnoh region after six years of waiting! A more mature feel than the show, for more mature readers, basically.

**XxXxX**

_Sunday_

_Route 202_

11:13 a.m.

The scent of pine assaulted Evelyn's senses as she entered the denser section of the forest twenty minutes south of her home. With the trees varying between tall and _super_ tall, and the green but slightly snowy hills scattered beyond that, the town she was attempting to reach was completely out of sight. Though continuing to peddle at a steady pace, she suddenly halted. Placing her bike off to the side beside a large stone, and moving the kick-stand up, Evelyn took in the current scenery and noises of the forest.

Every so often, the short shrieks of Starly and Pidgey could be heard from the skies all around. She'd even seen a few flocks of them gliding on the breezes above her; most likely scouring the grounds and trees for any bug Pokémon to make their next meal.

"Oof?"

Feeling something brush up against the back of her boots, Eve quickly spun around. On the ground beside a bush of plump red berries, one of which was in the small creatures paws, was a single Bidoof. Bringing its prize up to the large beaver teeth its kind was known for, it happily began munching, paying no mind to the human observing it.

She may have not had a Pokédex on her, but after years of devotion to hardcore studying, it would've been a serious embarrassment to not know anything about such a simple Pokémon.

Kneeling down she came face to face with the wild Bidoof, who was still having a rousing good time stuffing more and more berries into its cheeks. "Bidoof."

Placing even more berries inside of its mouth, it turned towards the human that had just called out to it. "You're known as the…Plump _Mouse_ Pokémon." The Bidoof merely blinked as she continued. "And you're called that because of because of your round cheeks and tail, aren't you?" Again, Bidoof merely blinked, then chewed as it stared in wonder at the bizarre human analyzing it.

"And you're _also_ known for your speedy getaways." Suddenly, the Bidoof's plump ears perked up, and it began checking the area, its body completely tensed.

_Demonstrating_ its speed, the small mammal zoomed off farther down the path, and then sharply turning, headed into the dark underbrush.

_Wonder what __caused it to run away?_

Setting herself back onto her bike, she brushed the question off, choosing to concentrate solely on reaching her destination point for the time being.

XxXxX

What Evelyn didn't know—couldn't have known—was that she _too_ was being watched, being _analyzed_ by a pair of menacing green orbs. This person had been watching her; nay, _stalking_ her. They'd been _stalking_ her since she'd entered the forest. Dodging past the low hanging branches, silently hopping over the scattered frozen and moist debris, they followed. All the while, making sure that the only ones their presence was known to were the few Cascoon and Silcoon scattered about the high branches of the trees, awaiting their moment of evolution. Sliding in and out of their crimson eyes' field of vision, he continued on his hunt.

XxXxX

"11:32, huh?" Checking her new Pokétch, Eve was happy to find that she was making pretty decent time so far, considering. She could now see the exit of the forest no more than a mile away as she continued her bike through the trees strewn along the path. Weaving between plants and stones that were scattered along the dirt road, Eve kept moving with a new vigor, taking in the crisp winter air.

What would undoubtedly be odd weather for many other areas in Johto, Kanto, and Hoenn, having unbearably hot days followed by chilly frigid mornings was not entirely uncommon for the people of Sinnoh. They were barely nearing the end of December, a month when, in Sinnoh at least, the weather tended to alternate between dire heat, icy winds, 2 inch snowfalls, and long lasting rainstorms. Having so many different types of climates strewn about all over the different zones of their continent, and being so naturally close to the planet's equator, their highly random weather patterns were, and had been, natural yearly things that most Sinnoh civilians took without a second thought.

Minus the extreme heat waves from time to time, Evelyn loved the month of December, if not just for her birthday toward the end of the month, but for the cool rains that always seemed to _cleanse_ the end of the month, bringing a more '_fresh'_ feeling, if you will, to the rapidly approaching New Year. Lost in the flashbacks of the previous New Year's celebrations, Evelyn was oblivious to the young boy that had just leapt out from the bushes attempting to scare her.

She was also oblivious to his shriek of terror as she ran him over.

_(BUMP)_

_And then there's mom's delicious Pecha-Berry Cobbler with her home-made syrup and……wait…wha…?_

After a momentary pause and the nagging feeling that something was wrong, Eve turned her head, eyeing the strange young boy more-or-less flattened on the dirt road 7 feet behind her, and cried out.

"Oh _Shit_!"

XxXxX

Laying the boy against one of the numerous pines along the path, Eve began fanning him, and searching his bare arms and legs for any _serious_ damage. She started to contemplate using her Pokégear and calling her parents for help, until the child she'd run over began to stir.

"…what's…huh?"

Giving the boy some room to breathe as he re-entered consciousness, Eve took a few steps back onto the dirt road, checking her bag for an extra bottle of water.

His legs a little wobbly, the boy began to stand using the tree behind him for support. He instantly took to looking around the place that he stood; his gazing stopped short as the details of the black-haired girl ahead of him came into focus. "W-Who are…_**YOU**_!"

Eve stared blankly at him, water bottle in hand, as the now fully awakened child pointed viciously at her.

"Me," she asked.

"_Yes_…**you**!"

"What about me," Eve questioned, though knowing full-well that he probably recognized her as the one who'd knocked him out.

"It's _you_!"

"Yes. It is me," she stated.

"**You're the one that…**"

Eve gave a short sigh. "Yeah. I'm the one who ran you o-"

"**You're the one that I was following**!"

"..-ver…_wait_. Following? What do you mean you were _following_ _me_," Eve asked in confusion.

"I've been following you since you entered the woods here. I was hoping to catch you by surprise and-"

"You're a little young to be a stalker, aren't you? Don't you have anything better to do," Eve probed.

".._No…_I-I mean. _S-Shut up!_ I'm trying to get through my monologue here! _Don't_ interrupt," the boy screamed.

Evelyn, still trying to make sense of the precocious boy and his intensions, decided that she at least owed the kid a chance to explain himself. "Fine…_monologue_ _away_…"

"Thank _you…_Now, like I was saying. I've been following you since you entered the woods. I was hoping to catch you by surprise, battle and beat you, and then, while you were busy crying over having lost to my superior _battling skills_, I'd take your Pokémon and your money!"

Watching as the boy puffed out his chest with fists at his hips, Eve took a large breath. "Wow."

"Impressed by my _ingenious_ scheme are you," the kid smirked. "Well. Can't say I'm surprised. Not many people have the proper _intellect _to come up with-"

"**No**. It's not that. I'm just surprised at how a little kid like you, with such a wide vocabulary, could come up with such a _stupid_ idea and actually think it's even halfway decent."

She suppressed the urge to laugh as the child's _superhero _pose faltered and his jaw practically dove straight for the floor.

"_**HOW DARE YOU**_," he shrieked, "It took me two whole _**days**_ to come up with that plan!"

"What a **waste** of 48 hours," Eve replied sardonically.

As she had expected, the boy's face began to scrunch up in anger, as well turn a rather humorous shade of red. However, as fast as it had taken for his facial features to flare up, his steadily rising balloon of anger seemed to immediately deflate, and his leer of malice was replaced by an almost over-confident scowl.

"Not _really_," he sang, "…Since I never said that that was the _only_ plan I came up with…."

Too curious over his change in demeanor, Eve couldn't help but ask, "What are you talking ab-"

"_NOW SWELLS_!"

Hearing a high pitched cry uttered and a rather unnatural breeze behind her, Eve quickly spun around. To her surprise there didn't seem to be anything there. Nothing but her bike, the bag with her Pokémon egg hung over the right handlebar,…and that was it.

"Where's my _BACKPACK_!?" She spun back around just in time to see the boy and his Swellow, her backpack in its claws, diving deeper into the woods to the right of the path.

Hastily dashing to the point the kid had entered, she angrily eyed the opening he'd used, hoping to find some hint as to the direction he took. She ceased her attempts to see though when she realized that the blanket of closely growing treetops above, allowed for very _little_ sunlight to get through to the ground below. After kicking out a small rock imbedded in the damp ground below her in frustration, Eve dragged herself back to the main path.

_Now _how_ am I supposed to _find_ him?!_ It wasn't as though she could simply _sniff_ him out…

Eve then smacked a palm to her forehead, laughing at her thick headedness. She had a _dog_ _Pokémon_ at her disposal!

Reaching into her right pocket, Eve took hold of her only Pokémon. "Come on Houndour." Lightly pushing its center, she tossed the Pokéball into the air. Forming from the bolt of light that had erupted as the ball opened, Houndour took a slow look around itself before setting its sights on its trainer.

It took Eve a moment before she noticed the strange look Houndour was giving her, or the fact that she had already caught and collapsed its Pokéball back in her hand.

_Mom was right…I _did_ enjoy calling him out _a lot _more then returning him._

Trotting over to the point the thieving brat had been only moments before, Eve gently called over Houndour with a few waves of her hand. Houndour rather slowly trotted over to her, his sharp coal-colored eyes boring into hers as he waited for her to direct him.

"Sniff around boy," Eve commanded, wafting the air around the kid's previous location, "There was an annoying runt by the tree here that ran off with my stuff. Think you can pick up his scent?"

Without any form of reply, Houndour immediately put his canine nostrils to work, sniffing away at the spot his trainer had instructed him to.

XxXxX

Picking up the child's scent was, for Houndour, all too easy. Without missing a beat, Houndour quickly began trailing after the path left by the young male's odor into the denser part of the surrounding forest. Keeping his nostrils almost religiously focused on his work, he continued to pointedly ignore the _trainer_ behind him, as well as her problems of maneuvering her two-wheeled transportation vehicle through the forest, while he moved in between trees and through the dirt and mud.

He knew his previous master had instructed him to protect this girl, his offspring, and that she was now rightfully his new master. Things however, were not that simple. His previous master had bested Houndour in battle, not his offspring. His own kind was known, not only for their strong noses, but for its strict rules in following the strongest member of its pack. The leaders were in charge of everything from obtaining the pack's next meal, where and when to mark their territory, and when and when _not_ to do battle with the members of other pack's for dominance over an area.

_(Flashback/Memory)_

During most of his time in the wild, he had not had much of a presence in his own pack due to his being only a pup in comparison to the alpha-male. Somewhere around the end of his first year of life, he'd managed to help take down a rather large group of Poochyena and their fully-evolved leader, when its pack had strayed too far into their territory.

Scouting out areas for potential prey or various threats was the role he'd been given by the leader himself, whenever they ventured to a new area from then on, though that obviously hadn't lasted long. Only a month after that he'd been captured; he'd strayed too far from his pack during his scouting, and found himself on the outside patch of the forest near a bright and rather green-hued human town. Within mere moments, Houndour had been confronted by a rather tall human male, one of his hands discreetly reaching for something towards his back.

Too caught up with _sizing_ up his opponent, Houndour had failed to see the man bring out a fellow Pokémon onto the field, though the likes of which he'd never seen before. The body of his opponent had been nearly four times as big as he was, and its gaze was even more menacing than that of his former pack's leader. Though his eyes remained unwilling to break the connection with the mammoth, he'd caught onto the commands the man gave the creature.

"_Now Venu__saur! Razor Leaf!"_

The green behemoth's eyes, still deadlocked with Houndour's own, didn't falter in the least as it let loose with a plethora of leaves from the area of the large floral growth on its back. He recalled attempting to incinerate the leaves with his own fire, even to avoid the radius of the attack, but there had simply been far too many. He could only try his hardest to stand his ground as the onslaught of blurred vegetation sped by all around him, cutting into him and staining his fur with his own blood, while a few embedded themselves in the ground at his sides.

Through it all he'd found himself still standing, though only barely, with the man now kneeling directly in front of him. Ignoring the warning-looks of the man's Pokémon a few feet away, he tiredly turned his attentions to the man.

"_I think you'll do just fine," _he'd said, and gently ran a finger down the middle of his head. Before he even had the chance to build up any desire to _harm_ the uncommonly bold man for his strange behavior, he felt the cool touch of some foreign object lightly knocked against his fur where the man's finger had been only moments before. And for a time, all he knew was rest…

…After being released from his unknown confines, and finding himself completely healed of all injuries, the man had taken him to a spacious green pasture bathed in the warm rays of the morning sun, obviously not too far from where he'd been caught, and formally introduced himself to Houndour, and to Venusaur.

"_First and foremost, I didn't capture you to keep you with me against your will. If you don't want to stay, I won't have any objections to letting you go."_

Taking in the relative meaning of his words, Houndour turned to Venusaur as he too began to speak, though in their native Pokémon tongue.

"_He gave us all the same speech when he captured us, and trust me, the man means it too."_

Houndour responded back with a few short barks. _"So this man captured me, but isn't planning on forcing me to stay. These humans are a bizarre breed…"_

"_They can be,"_ replied Venusaur sagely.

Stealing a quick glance back towards his capturer, who was now fidgeting with his glasses and feeling rather left out of the conversation, Houndour continued. _"If he _didn't_ want to enslave me, then what?"_

"_Train you,"_ Venusaur answered, "_You see, he feels that taking a Pokémon_ _against its will would only _hinder_ its ability to prosper from his teachings."_ Houndour's response to all this was very close to what would've been classified as, had he been human, a scoff.

"_Train me? What good could come from training with a human? What _training_ could he give me that I wouldn't receive from my own pack?"_

Again Venusaur replied knowingly, _"You'd be surprised. His intentions are to make you strong. Perhaps even stronger than you would have been otherwise. No doubt training with your own kind would make you a force to be reckoned with, enough to drive your foes to fear you..." _ Venusaur stole a long gaze sideways at the man who'd helped make him stronger than he'd ever thought he'd be, and shifted his attentions again to the Pokémon standing before him. _"But training with him would more than likely be enough to drive your foes to _respect_ you."_

"_What's the difference, so long as my opponents know not to get in my way?"_

"_Well now,"_ returned Venusaur, his body lightly shaking with a chuckle, _"there's only one way to know that for sure, isn't there?"_

With that, Venusaur began to take heaving steps back to his trainer and longtime friend, giving the man known as Renton a tell-tale nod. Houndour remained where he stood, feeling the heated rays coating his dark fur and soft underbelly with its warm embrace, trapped in thought. It only took a few minutes for Venusaur's words to get the better of his curiosity, before he slowly made his way back to the man and his companion that had so easily bested him.

Standing then in front of him, he bowed his head in respect, and nodded to the green creature at his right.

"_All right__ then. Let your training commence…"_

X

Those few weeks of training felt like the longest _months_ of his life. Though the man had treated him with a kindness that he'd honestly never known out in the wild, during their sessions, Renton was far fiercer then his entire pack combined. There was no getting around that, towards the end, his skill had greatly improved. Though no where _near_ the level of the man's other companions…but still. It was something Houndour was proud of. On certain days, he'd felt as though he could even best his former pack's leader. He usually put thoughts such as those towards the back of his mind for two reasons. One, such bursts of overconfidence would more than likely lead to his defeat, or so he'd been informed. And two,…ideas such as those brought constant reminders that his pack—his _family_—was now a part of his past, and nothing more.

The man, he felt, would surely have kept his promise had he decided to leave. But there was no point in taking him up on that offer. The others surely would've smelt the stench of humans on him, and his only welcome back would've been having the fangs of his comrades tearing him asunder.

It was one day after a rather rushed sparring session between him and one of his master's weaker, though no less well trained, companions that Renton singled out Houndour as the others waited down in the grassy fields, gathering their fill of the rays of the sunset.

"_I'm sure I don't need to tell you this,…but you've greatly improved,"_ praised Renton as he patted Houndour on the head. Renton took a long look up at the leaves of the tree he leaned against, and sighed. _"But there _isone_ thing I need to tell you." _

Houndour squatted onto the grass, wondering patiently what his master could possibly want to tell him. _"You see Houndour, I caught you for a very specific reason. I have a daughter back home, named Evelyn. My wife and I have decided that we're going to let her go off on her Pokémon journey soon…meaning she's going to be traveling very far away from home, and I want to make sure she's well protected."_

Houndour watched as the man seemed to loose himself for a moment, and do nothing but stare off into the vast regions of the twilight skies above. Renton then gave a tiny cough, and continued. _"I planned on coming out to this region, and finding a suitable companion for her, hence, why I caught _you_—since more than likely she'll be so wrapped up in preparing that she'll forget to get her own." _

Regaining eye contact with Houndour, Renton began to slowly scratch behind the canine's ears. _"So…what do you say?"_

_(End of Flashback/Memory)_

Taking an unenthused glance back at the bumbling female behind him—who had just now fallen backwards onto her bike and into a patch of wet mud—Houndour realized he should have "_said __**no**_".

XxXxX

"I am so _sick_ of this crap," cried out Evelyn in frustration. Leaving nothing but the _squishing _and _squashing_ sounds from her boots in her wake, she tiredly followed on after Houndour carrying her bike over her head, damp, dirty, and _damn_ well past the point of simple annoyance.

Contemplating horrid scenes of the boy who'd vexed her in various states of pain and torture, Eve failed to notice that Houndour had completely halted his movements with his small frame was completely pointed towards the right. With as much difficulty as it took for most people to breath, Eve fell over Houndour, bike and all, and landed hard on her shoulder. Houndour pointedly ignored her.

"_Damn it_!"

Choosing to completely forgo the seemingly pointless act of picking up her mud-ridden heap of a bike off the forest floor, Eve instead decided on finding out why her Houndour would simply pause as it had.

There was something about the look in its eyes; an almost dull, "bored to tears" look. A rather odd expression in Eve's opinion, given the Pokémon's rather dark demeanor. Eve took a quick glance in the direction of Houndour's gaze, and spotted a small wooden shack, in a sizeable clearing straight ahead of her. The shack's oak wood frame, windows, and brick chimney all seemed to be in a rather clean and well-kept state, regardless of the seclusion.

It was what lay inside of the shack however, standing in front of the window to the left of the front door, which really captured Eve's attentions. She could see the boy, his Swellow resting on his right shoulder, calmly going through the large quantity of pockets on the outside of her backpack. Slipping his hand into each one, he briefly examined what he found in each, tossing away objects that didn't interest him, and placing what _did_ onto the surface of something she couldn't see.

Pulling out a small package of dark chocolate-coated cookies, the boy hastily tore open the wrapper, stuffing in as many of the sugary treats as he could. Swellow _also_ partook of the sweets, its beak pecking at the chunks of cookie left behind by the greedy child.

Watching this event take place, Eve's anger immediately doubled. With a voice and tone darker then the fur of any Houndour, Eve growled.

"That boy, is _dead_! _Nobody_ eats _my__** COOKIES!"**_

XxXxX

Sorry. Really. I'm truly sorry. I promise that this was gonna be longer, but you see…well. I'll explain.

Okay. SOOOOO. First off. Yes, I'm still alive.

Unlike for my last (and first) story, I have an excuse for why I haven't updated in a very long time. My mother and I recently moved back in with my grandparents. Between the time that we last lived with them and now, they got rid of the cable and _**internet**_ connections. Meaning, I'm stuck with Word Document, pictures, and previously read fan fic stories that I saved to my laptop a while back. I am now weeping openly about this, yet again…ok not really, but yeah. NO INTERNET.

Seeing as how I'm at my Aunt's house, (and she has a wireless connection that my laptop seems to enjoy using) I'm able to update now, but maybe not for a long while. This is why I wanted to make sure I at least got this much in, before I blew any chances for a recent (ish) review.

ANYWAY! I really, honestly do hope that anyone who reads this likes it. I really tried very hard on making it all work, so I truly hope it paid off. Promise that the next chapter is already on the way. I can't really give any sort of date for release, but I am gonna make sure that I get it in _before_ next weekend is over

Just remember.

_**Reviews LOVE**_, for fanfic writers.

So send me some **love** please, or even **criticism** (they're both **always** appreciated), and I promise to reply. (It's just what I do). So, to anyone who reads this, have a nice day.


End file.
